Johnny Khamis is new District 10 councilman

Johnny Khamis has begun making plans for a move to San Jose City Hall after his victory Tuesday in the District 10 council race.

Khamis, a Republican, who ran with endorsements from Mayor Chuck Reed, former District 10 councilwoman Pat Dando and Almaden resident Jim Cunneen, received 12,254 votes or 52.87 percent of the vote to Robert Braunstein's 10,924 or 47.13 percent of the votes.

"I'm in learning mode right now," Khamis said the day after the election. "I talked to two councilmembers today, and I'm planning to talk to another one tomorrow." His very highest priority, he said, is finding a chief of staff.

Khamis, a financial planner, who owns Western Benefit Solutions, believes his support came primarily from those whom he says valued his commitment to financial responsibility. His opponent, who runs Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area, argued that running a successful small business gave him an edge in the campaign.

Both Khamis and Braunstein supported Measure B, Reed's proposal to reduce skyrocketing retirement benefits, which was approved by voters in June, and both received the endorsement of the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Braunstein, however, received the endorsement of the San Jose Police Officers Association, and Khamis acknowledges he has some work to do to dispel the believe that he is not supportive of police. "I don't have issues with the police," he said. "I have an issue with the budget. I want to work so that we'll be able to hire more police."

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In the final days of the campaign, two campaign pieces were mailed to District 10 residents, which Khamis describes as hit pieces that hurt his campaign.

Both funded by the San Jose Firefighters, one questioned his ability to manage his own finances because of some problems he had when he was 25 and going through a divorce. He immediately posted his credit rating on his website to show his high rating today.

The other, he says, called him an "Arab American leader," and on the same page, claimed he was "too extreme."

"Although it didn't say so specifically, I don't think it was an accident that Arab and extreme were on the same page," he said, adding that prior to that campaign piece, he was getting about a 60 percent positive response from people when he knocked on doors. "After the piece, it was more like 50 percent. Some people even slammed their doors in my face."

He's ready to put the campaign behind him now, however, and learn as much as he can about his new role on the council. "I'm really excited to have won," he said.